Yarn carrier of circular hosiery



May 27, 1958 K. E. HOEFER 2,836,042

YA N CARRIER 0F CIRCULAR HOSIERY'KNITTING MACHINES Filed March 18, 1955 INVENTOR. KAQL 512N557 HosFsxz YARV CARRIER OF CIRCULAR HOSIERY KNIIIING MACHINES Karl Ernest Hoefer, Rivervale, N. J., assignor to Ernest A. Feustel, Hasbrouck Heights, N. J.

Application March 18, 1955, Serial No. 495,240

2 Claims. (Cl. 66-125) This invention relates to a yarn carrier for a circular hosiery knitting machine and refers more particularly to a carrier of the type consisting of an arm removably supporting a thread receiving tube. In my copending patent application, Serial No. 463,562, filed October 20, 1954, now abandoned, I have described a yarn carrier having the form of an elongated fiat body provided at its outer end with a pair of jaws holding the thread guiding tube. An object of the present invention is to improve a construction of this type and to provide a yarn carrier which will hold the thread guiding tube firmly and securely and without the danger that the tube will slip out of the jaws in the course of the operation.

Another object is the provision of a yarn carrier which is so constructed that the insertion of a thread guiding tube into the jaws can be carried out quickly and effectively and that the removal of a tube can take place within the least possible time.

A still further object is the provision of a yarn carrier, the thread guiding tube of which will not be bent or inclined in the course of the operation but will remain securely embedded in the supporting arm throughout the knitting operations.

Other objects of the present invention will become apparent in the course of the following specification. In accomplishing the objects of the present invention, it was found desirable to provide a thread guiding tube having an annular flange located upon the outer surface of the tube and closer to one end thereof. It was found that most satisfactory results are attained when the distance of the flange from one end of the tube is three to five times greater than the distance of the flange from the other end of the tube. The flat arm serving as a carrier for the tube has at its outer end a slot, as a result of which two opposed jaws are formed. A second slot extends perpendicularly to the first slot and is used to receive the above described flange of the tube. Due to the provision of the two intersecting slots, two pairs of jaws are formed and the upper pair of jaws terminates at a distance from the lower pair of jaws. for the purpose of facilitating the insertion and the removal of the thread carrying tube.

The invention will appear more clearly from the following detailed description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, showing, by way of example, a preferred embodiment of the inventive idea.

In the drawing:

Fig. l is a side view of a yarn carrier constructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a section along the line 22 of Fig. 1 on an enlarged scale;

Fig. 3 is a front view in the direction of arrows 3-3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a section through a thread guiding tube of the present invention.

The yarn carrier shown in the drawings includes a nited States Patent ice fiat elongated body 10 which is turned upwardly and outwardly in the plane of the body. The outer end of the body which forms an outwardly projecting arm 12 has an elongated slot 13 which extends in the longitudinal direction of the body and symmetrically to the opposed surfaces thereof. The longitudinal slot 13 has a cylindrical recess 14 at its inner end which extends substantially vertically through the entire end portion 12 of the body. Another cylindrical recess 15 which is larger than the recess 14 extends parallel to the recess 14 and is connected therewith by a narrow elongated slot portion 16a. The recess 15 also extends through the entire end portion 12.

A second transverse slot 16 extends perpendicularly to the slot 13 inwardly from the front surface of the outer end 12. The slot 16 which intersects the slot 13 terminates before and at a distance from the cylindrical recess 15.

Due to the provision of two intersecting slots 13 and 16, the outer end portion 12 has two pairs of jaws, namely a pair of upper jaws 17 and 18 and a pair of lower jaws 19 and 20. It is apparent that in the region between the recesses 14 and 15, where there is no slot 16, the upper and lower jaws merge to form a single pair of jaws. However, the slot 16 is a suflicient depth to accommodate conveniently the flange 21 of the thread guiding tube 22. To facilitate the insertion and the removal of the thread guiding tube 22, the front surfaces 23 and 24 of the jaws 17 and 18 respectively, terminate at a substantial distance from the corresponding front surfaces 25 and 26 of the jaws 19 and 20 respectively. In this region, the slot 13 is provided with a cylindrical recess 27, the diameter of which is equal to the diameter of the body portion 28 of the thread guiding tube 22. The surfaces 23 and 24 extend in one plane which passes through the center of the cylindrical recess 27. Thus the recess 27 has the form of a cylinder only in relation to the jaws 19 and 20 so that it extends from the slot 16 downwardly to the underlying lower surface of the arm 10. As far as the jaws 17 and 18 are concerned, these jaws are provided with curved surfaces 29 and 30 respectively, each of which has the form of onefourth of a cylinder. Preferably the surfaces 29 and 30 are somewhat recessed in relation to corresponding surfaces constituting a part of the cylindrical recess 27. The tube 22 used for guiding the thread is preferably provided with curved inner edges 31 and 32 in order to avoid damaging the thread while it passes through the tube 22.

The operation of the device is apparent from the above description. The tube 22 is inserted within the recess 27 with its longer portion extending downwardly. The flange 21 of the tube 22 will fit snugly into the slot 16. The jaws 19 and 20 will embrace and hold tightly the body portion 28 of the tube. The function of the recesses 14 and 15 is to increase the resiliency of the jaws.

As shown in Fig. 4, the narrower portion 33 of the tube has a somewhat larger diameter than the diameter of the longer portion 28 of the tube. Thus in accordance with the present invention, the upper jaws 17 and 18, which are somewhat recessed in relation to the lower jaws 19 and 26, will hold firmly the portion 33 of the tube; while as already stated, the portion 28 will be held by the jaws 19 and 2%. The upper jaws 17 and 1%; will also cause pressure to be exerted by the flange 21 against the underlying surfaces of the slot 16 so as to provide a firm and secure connection between the tube 22 and the body 10. The removal of an old tube and the insertion of a new tube can be effected within the shortest possible time and without loss of efficiency of the operation of the machine.

It isapparent that theexample shown above has been given solely by way of illustration and not byway of limitation and thatit is subject to many variations and modifications All suchtvariationsfand rriodifieations are to be included Within the scope? of the present invention. What is'claimed is; r i i 1. Ina circular'hosiery knitting machine; the combination of ayarn carrierand a thread guiding tube supported a thereby, said tubev having ,a circumferentially eittendi ug flange intermediate its ends,- said. yarn carrier comprising 1 an elongated flat bodyrhaving an; outwardly projecting armintegral' with said body, 'saidarm'having formedah the outer end thereof a lon'gitudinal slot and a trans verseslot; I'said, slots: intersecting .leach other 7 at substantially:

right anglesand forming apair' of upper jaws andn pair of lower jaws, said arm' further havingicpposed aligned recesses forming a part of'said, longitudinal slot and locatedin-vsaid upper andflowe'r jawslfo'r receiving the body of said thread guiding tube, the transverse slot receiving the'fiange ofthe'thread-guiding tube, said lower] jaws extending beyond said upper jaws, each of the recesses of the upper jaws having substantially the outlineof a guarter of, a circle 'ea'ch; of' the recesses'of'the lower jaws; having substantially. the outline of a half of;

a circle.

2. In a circular hosiery knitting machine; the combiner tion of a yarn carrier anda thread-guiding tube supported 7 thereby, saidtube having a circumferentially extending flange intermediate its ends; said yarn carrier comprising an elongatedrflat body having an outwardly projecting arm integral with said'body, said arnrhaving fornied at the outer end'thereof a slot extending in the longitudinal direction of the fiat body and another transverse slot intersecting the first-mentioned slot at substantially right angles, whereby a pair of upper jaws, and a pair 7 of lower jaws are formed, said arm having a substantially I V cylindrical recess at the inner end of the first mentioned slot,and another substantially "cylindrical recess extend-i ing 'parallel to the first-mentioned recessand atga distance therefrom, said recesses increasing the .resiliency of the jaws, said arrn'having opposed aligned recesses formed in the first-mentioned slot and'ext'ending" through the second-mentioned slot for receiving the body of said thread-guiding tube, the second-mentioned 'slot receiv ing the flange of the thread-guiding tuhe,'said lower jaws extending beyondtsaid 'upperjaws, each of the recesses I of the u pper jawshaving 'substantially the outline of a quarter of a circle, each of the recesses of the lower jaws having r-substantially. the outline of a half of a circle, a

whereby said lowerjaws extend beyondsaid upper jaws.

References Citedjin theme of this oatent UNITED 'STATES'. PATENTS V Scarborough: Dec. 28, 

